Deer
ArcheryWest of I-25 and GMU 140; eligible units only
Adopted season framework, not confirmation of a license or unit opening. Annual regulations and hunt codes control.
THE SEASON ATLAS / COColorado
Colorado
hunting seasons.
Explore 2026 & 2027 season sources, publication status, and game species for your next hunt.
CO / UNITED STATES
PLAN WITH THE SEASONS
Your 2026 field calendar.
2026 · partial coverage
The 2026 brochures and multi-year big-game framework are published. Selected framework dates are shown; unit-specific licenses control availability.
Official 2026 information ↗4 verified date entries
Selected agency dates are indexed below. This is not a complete legal calendar. Unit rules, tags, sex and age restrictions, closures, and special hunts can change which dates apply. Use the source beside each entry.
Elk
ArcheryWest of I-25 and GMU 140; eligible units only
Adopted season framework, not confirmation of a license or unit opening. Annual regulations and hunt codes control.
Deer
MuzzleloaderWest of I-25 and GMU 140; eligible units only
Adopted limited-license framework; verify annual hunt code and unit exceptions.
Elk
MuzzleloaderWest of I-25 and GMU 140; eligible units only
Adopted limited-license framework; verify annual hunt code and unit exceptions.
Colorado game species & hunting information.
These species and groups appear in agency hunting resources. Their presence in the state does not mean every public area offers a hunt. “Native” describes origin, “reintroduced” describes restoration, and “migratory” describes movement; these are not population counts. Origin is left unverified when the reviewed source does not establish it.
Agency-listed species and groups are a planning catalog, not an exhaustive taxonomic inventory. Exact dates cover selected hunts; always confirm the particular property, hunt unit and permit.
Big game
Mule deer
Origin not verifiedWhite-tailed deer
Origin not verifiedElk
Origin not verifiedPronghorn
Origin not verifiedMoose
ReintroducedCPW describes its modern transplant program as reintroduction; historical native status remains debated.
Agency species information ↗Population history source ↗Bighorn sheep
Origin not verifiedMountain goat
IntroducedColorado established these herds through transplants; CPW also notes the 1993 administrative designation as native.
Agency species information ↗Population history source ↗Black bear
Origin not verifiedMountain lion
Origin not verifiedSmall game
Abert’s squirrel
Origin not verifiedFox squirrel
Origin not verifiedPine squirrel
Origin not verifiedCottontail rabbit
Origin not verifiedSnowshoe hare
Origin not verifiedWhite-tailed jackrabbit
Origin not verifiedBlack-tailed jackrabbit
Origin not verifiedMarmot
Origin not verifiedWhite-tailed prairie dog
Origin not verifiedBlack-tailed prairie dog
Origin not verifiedGunnison’s prairie dog
Origin not verifiedWyoming ground squirrel
Origin not verifiedUpland birds
Dusky grouse
Origin not verifiedMountain sharp-tailed grouse
Origin not verifiedGreater sage-grouse
Origin not verifiedWhite-tailed ptarmigan
Origin not verifiedRing-necked pheasant
Origin not verifiedNorthern bobwhite
Origin not verifiedScaled quail
Origin not verifiedGambel’s quail
Origin not verifiedChukar
Origin not verifiedWild turkey
Origin not verifiedMigratory birds
Band-tailed pigeon
MigratoryMourning dove
MigratoryWhite-winged dove
MigratorySora rail
MigratoryVirginia rail
MigratorySandhill crane
MigratoryWilson’s snipe
MigratoryAmerican coot
MigratoryDucks
MigratoryGeese
MigratoryFurbearers
Mink
Origin not verifiedPine marten
Origin not verifiedBadger
Origin not verifiedRed fox
Origin not verifiedGray fox
Origin not verifiedSwift fox
Origin not verifiedWestern spotted skunk
Origin not verifiedStriped skunk
Origin not verifiedBeaver
Origin not verifiedMuskrat
Origin not verifiedLong-tailed weasel
Origin not verifiedShort-tailed weasel
Origin not verifiedBobcat
Origin not verifiedOpossum
Origin not verifiedRing-tailed cat
Origin not verifiedRaccoon
Origin not verifiedCoyote
Origin not verifiedOther game
Common snapping turtle
Origin not verifiedPrairie rattlesnake
Origin not verifiedCrow
Origin not verifiedEuropean starling
Origin not verifiedHouse sparrow
Origin not verifiedCheck the details.
Then head for the horizon.
Confirm the unit, season, license, method, bag limit, and current closures with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Public-land rules may be more restrictive than statewide seasons.